The Tales of Hoffmann | |
| Composer: | Jacques Offenbach |
| Image Upright: | 1.3 |
| Librettist: | Jules Barbier |
| Language: | French |
The Tales of Hoffmann (French: ) is an by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on three short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, who is the protagonist of the story. It was Offenbach's final work; he died in October 1880, four months before the premiere.
Offenbach saw a play,, written by Barbier and Michel Carré and produced at the Odéon Theatre in Paris in 1851.[1]
After returning from America in 1876, Offenbach learned that Barbier had adapted the play, which Hector Salomon had now set to music at the Opéra. Salomon handed the project to Offenbach. Work proceeded slowly, interrupted by the composition of profitable lighter works. Offenbach had a premonition, like Antonia, the heroine of Act 2, that he would die prior to its completion.[2] [3]
Offenbach continued working on the opera throughout 1880, attending some rehearsals. On 5 October 1880, he died with the manuscript in his hand, just four months before the opening. Shortly before he died, he wrote to Léon Carvalho:
""
("Hurry up and stage my opera. I have not much time left, and my only wish is to attend the opening night.")
The stories in the opera include:
The opera was first performed in a public venue at the Opéra-Comique on 10 February 1881, without the third (Venice) act.[8] It was presented in an abridged form at Offenbach's house, 8 Boulevard des Capucines, on 18 May 1879, with Madame Franck-Duvernoy in the soprano roles, Auguez as Hoffmann (baritone) and Émile-Alexandre Taskin in the four villain roles, with Edmond Duvernoy at the piano and a chorus directed by Albert Vizentini. Besides Léon Carvalho, director of the Opéra-Comique, the director of the Ringtheater in Vienna, Franz von Jauner, was also present. Both men requested the rights, but Offenbach granted them to Carvalho.
A four-act version with recitatives was staged at the Ringtheater on 7 December 1881, conducted by Joseph Hellmesberger Jr., although a gas explosion and fire occurred at the theatre after the second performance.[9]
The opera reached its hundredth performance at the Salle Favart on 15 December 1881. The fire at the Opéra-Comique in 1887 destroyed the orchestral parts, and it was not seen again in Paris until 1893, at the Salle de la Renaissance du Théâtre-Lyrique, when it received 20 performances.[10] A new production by Albert Carré (including the Venice act) was mounted at the Opéra-Comique in 1911, with Léon Beyle in the title role and Albert Wolff conducting. This production remained in the repertoire until World War II, receiving 700 performances. Following a recording by Opéra-Comique forces in March 1948, Louis Musy created the first post-war production in Paris, conducted by André Cluytens. The Paris Opera first staged the work in October 1974, directed by Patrice Chéreau with Nicolai Gedda in the title role.[11]
Outside France, the piece was performed in Geneva, Budapest, Hamburg, New York, and Mexico in 1882, Vienna (Theater an der Wien), Prague, and Antwerp in 1883, and Lvov and Berlin in 1884. Local premieres included Buenos Aires in 1894, St Petersburg in 1899, Barcelona in 1905, and London in 1910.
| Role | Voice type[12] | Premiere cast, 10 February 1881 (Conductor: Jules Danbé) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoffmann, a poet | tenor | Jean-Alexandre Talazac | |
| The muse | mezzo-soprano | Zoé Molé-Truffier | |
| Nicklausse | Marguerite Ugalde | ||
| Lindorf | bass-baritone | Émile-Alexandre Taskin | |
| Coppélius | |||
| Miracle | |||
| Dapertutto | |||
| Andrès | tenor | Pierre Grivot | |
| Cochenille | |||
| Frantz | |||
| Pitichinaccio | |||
| Stella, a singer | soprano | Adèle Isaac | |
| Olympia, a mechanical or an animatronical doll | |||
| Antonia, a young girl | |||
| Giulietta, a courtesan | |||
| Voice of Antonia's mother | mezzo-soprano | Dupuis | |
| Luther | baritone | Étienne Troy | |
| Spalanzani, an inventor | tenor | E. Gourdon | |
| Crespel, Antonia's father | baritone | Hippolyte Belhomme | |
| Peter Schlémil, in love with Giulietta | baritone | ||
| Nathanaël, a student | tenor | Chennevières | |
| Hermann, a student | baritone | Teste | |
| Wilhelm, a student | bass-baritone | Collin | |
| Wolfram, a student | tenor | Piccaluga | |
| Students, Guests | |||
A tavern in Nuremberg: The Muse appears and reveals to the audience her purpose is to draw Hoffmann's attention, and make him abjure all other loves, so he can be devoted to her: poetry. She takes the appearance of Hoffmann's closest friend, Nicklausse. The prima donna Stella, performing Mozart's Don Giovanni, sends a letter to Hoffmann, requesting a meeting in her dressing room after the performance. The letter and the key to the room are intercepted by Councillor Lindorf ("" – In the languid lovers' roles), the first of the opera's incarnations of evil, Hoffmann's nemesis. Lindorf intends to replace Hoffmann at the rendezvous. In the tavern, students wait for Hoffmann. He finally arrives, and entertains them with the legend of Kleinzach the dwarf ("" – Once upon a time at the court of Eisenach). Lindorf coaxes Hoffmann into telling the audience about his three great loves.
This act is based on a portion of "Der Sandmann".
Parlor of a scientist, Paris: Hoffmann's first love is Olympia, an automaton created by the scientist Spalanzani. Hoffmann falls in love with her, not knowing Olympia is a mechanical doll ("" – Come on! Courage and trust... Ah! to live together!). To warn Hoffmann, Nicklausse, possessing the truth about Olympia, sings a story of a mechanical doll with the appearance of a human, but Hoffmann ignores her ("" – A doll with enamel eyes). Coppélius, Olympia's co-creator and this act's incarnation of Nemesis, sells Hoffmann magic glasses to make Olympia appear as a real woman ("" – I have eyes).
Olympia sings one of the opera's most famous arias, "" (The birds in the bower, nicknamed "The Doll Song"), during which she runs-down and needs to be wound-up before she can continue. Hoffmann is tricked into believing his affections are returned, to the bemusement of Nicklausse, subtly attempting to warn his friend ("" – See her under her fan). While dancing with Olympia, Hoffmann falls on the ground and his glasses break. At the same time, Coppélius appears, tearing Olympia apart to retaliate against Spalanzani after cheating him of his fees. With the crowd ridiculing him, Hoffmann realizes he loved an automaton.
This act is based on "".
Crespel's house, Munich: After a long search, Hoffmann finds the house where Crespel and his daughter Antonia are hiding. Hoffmann and Antonia loved each other, but were separated after Crespel decided to hide his daughter from Hoffmann. Antonia inherited her mother's talent for singing, but her father forbids her to sing because of her mysterious illness. Antonia wishes her lover would return to her ("" – "She fled, the dove"). Her father also forbids her to see Hoffmann, who encourages Antonia in her musical career, and therefore, endangers her without knowing it. Crespel tells Frantz, his servant, to stay with his daughter, and after Crespel leaves, Frantz sings a comical song about his talents "" – "Day and night, I quarter my mind."
After Crespel leaves his house, Hoffmann takes advantage of the occasion to sneak in, and the lovers are re-united (love duet: "" – "It's a love song"). After Crespel returns, he receives a visit from Dr Miracle, the act's Nemesis, forcing Crespel to let him heal her. Eavesdropping, Hoffmann learns Antonia may die if she sings too much. He returns to her boudoir, and makes her promise to give up her artistic-dreams. Antonia reluctantly accepts her lover's will. After she is alone, Dr Miracle enters Antonia's boudoir to persuade her to sing and follow her mother's path to glory, stating Hoffmann is sacrificing her to his brutishness, and loves her only for her beauty. With mystic powers, he raises a vision of Antonia's dead mother and induces Antonia to sing, causing her death. Crespel arrives just in time to witness his daughter's last breath. Hoffmann enters, and Crespel wants to kill him, thinking he is responsible for his daughter's death. Nicklausse saves his friend from the old man's vengeance.
This act is loosely-based on (A New Year's Eve Adventure).
A gallery in a palace, Venice. The act opens with the barcarolle "" – "Beautiful night, oh night of love". Hoffmann falls in love with the courtesan Giulietta, and thinks she returns his affections ("" – "Friends, tender and dreamy love"). Giulietta is not in love with Hoffmann, but seducing him under the orders of Captain Dapertutto, who promises her a diamond if she steals Hoffmann's reflection from a mirror ("" – "Sparkle, diamond"). The jealous Schlemil (cf. Peter Schlemihl for a literary antecedent), a previous victim of Giulietta and Dapertutto (he gave Giulietta his shadow), challenges the poet to a duel, but is killed, thanks to the magic sword Hoffmann was supplied with by Dapertutto. Nicklausse wants to take Hoffmann away from Venice, and goes looking for horses. Meanwhile, Hoffmann meets Giulietta, and cannot resist her ("" – "O God! of what intoxication"): he gives her his reflection, only to be abandoned by the courtesan, to Dapertutto's great pleasure.
Note: In the original version, Hoffmann, furious at being betrayed, tries to stab Giulietta but - blinded by Dapertutto - mistakenly kills his dwarf Pittichinaccio; in Richard Bonynge's version, Giulietta is poisoned and dies, by accidentally drinking the philter Dapertutto prepares for Nicklausse.
The tavern in Nuremberg: Hoffmann, drunk, swears he will never love again, and explains Olympia, Antonia, and Giulietta are three facets of the same person, Stella. They represent, respectively, the young girl's, the musician's, and the courtesan's side of the prima donna. After Hoffmann says he doesn't want to love any more, Nicklausse reveals she is the Muse and reclaims Hoffmann: "Be reborn a poet! I love you, Hoffmann! Be mine!" – "" The magic of poetry reaches Hoffmann as he sings " – "O God! of what intoxication" once more, ending with "Muse, whom I love, I am yours!" – "" At this moment, Stella, tired of waiting for Hoffmann to come to her rendezvous, enters the tavern and finds him drunk. The poet tells her to leave ("Farewell, I will not follow you, phantom, spectre of the past" – ""), and Lindorf, waiting in the shadows, comes forth. Nicklausse explains to Stella that Hoffmann does not love her anymore, but Councillor Lindorf is waiting for her. Some students enter the room for more drinking, while Stella and Lindorf leave together.
Prologue
Act 1: Olympia
Act 2: Antonia
Act 3: Giulietta
Epilogue: Stella
The aria "" (Song of little Zaches) in the prologue is based on the short story "" ("Little Zaches, called cinnabar"), 1819. The barcarolle, "Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour" in the Venetian act, is the opera's famous number, borrowed by Offenbach from his earlier opera Rheinnixen (French: Les fées du Rhin).
Offenbach died four months before the premiere, having completed the piano score and some orchestration.[13] As a result of this and the practical demands of the Opéra-Comique director, different editions of the opera emerged, some bearing little resemblance to his conception, with cuts or the addition of music he did not sketch or compose. The version performed at the opera's premiere was by Ernest Guiraud, after completing Offenbach's scoring, but without the Giulietta act, some of its music being moved to the Antonia act and epilogue. Choudens published at least four divergent scores of the opera in 1881 and 1882. At the Opéra-Comique in Paris dialogue between musical numbers would be spoken; for productions outside France he would have composed recitatives to replace it.
The work was the object of considerable further rewriting for a 1904 production in Monte Carlo by the theatre director Raoul Gunsbourg and André Bloch with new words by Barbier's son Pierre. The air "", based on a theme from the overture to Offenbach's A Journey to the Moon was added for Dapertutto, and a sextet (sometimes called septet, counting the chorus) containing elements of the barcarolle, to make a climax to the final scene. Much of this was reproduced in 1907 by Choudens in performance materials, which also gave Dapertutto's original air to Coppélius and added a passage where Hoffmann realizes that he has lost his reflection. This edition held sway for many years around the world, while the practice arose of assigning the soprano roles to different singers, a basic denial of the dramatic unity of the work. Offenbach intended the four soprano roles be taken by the same singer, for Olympia, Giulietta, and Antonia are three facets of Stella, Hoffmann's unreachable love. Similarly, the four villains (Lindorf, Coppélius, Miracle, and Dapertutto) would be the same bass-baritone, as they all represents the evil forces against which he is pitted.There were a few attempts to return to Offenbach's original intentions, including a “pioneering version” by the conductor Arthur Hammond for the Carl Rosa Opera Company[14] in 1952.[15] Richard Bonynge tried to revert to Offenbach's conception for his 1971 complete recording, despite the major lack of source material at that time.
Since the 1970s new performing editions appeared, particularly after the discovery of manuscript sources by conductor Antonio de Almeida, used in editions by Fritz Oeser in 1976 and Michael Kaye in 1988.[13] While compiling a thematic catalogue of Offenbach's works, de Almeida went to the house in Saint-Mandé of the heir of one of the composer's daughters, containing Offenbach's piano, and discovered a folder containing the manuscript parts (in the hand of Offenbach's copyists, but with autograph annotations), including those used in May 1879.[14] The 1,250 manuscript-page find comprised parts of autograph vocal score, fragments of libretto and the Venice act orchestrated by Guiraud. de Almeida considered the main improvement was “the emergence of Nicklausse/Muse as the most important character after the title-role” giving meaning to the overall narrative and the Muse–Hoffmann relationship. “When the Muse at the end sings to Hoffmann that it is to her he has to turn, the main thread of the work is made clear”.[14] This version also allowed Act 1 (Olympia) to flow directly from the Prologue (so the minuet is reserved for the entrance of the guests later); there is also a seamless transition from Act 3 (Giulietta) into the Epilogue.[14] French Offenbach scholar Jean-Christophe Keck comments that Oeser in fact reorchestrated around three-quarters of the score, introducing new instruments, adding more from Die Rheinnixen and added back cuts made by the composer. The Oeser version was given in full for the first time in Reims in 1983 and recorded by EMI in 1988.
In 1984 a London auction sold manuscripts of 300 pages found at the Château de Cormatin, which had belonged to Gunsbourg, consisting of virtually all the cuts from the initial rehearsal period. American researcher Michael Kaye learnt about these and set about making his own edition of 1992 (first performed on stage at the Los Angeles Opera in 1988), but, then, additional authentic music was found, and published in 1999.[16] In 2011 a critical joint edition ('Kaye-Keck') was released reflecting and reconciling the research of recent decades and productions drawing on this edition (including prior to its publication) have been premiered from 1988 (US), followed by France (1993), Germany (1995), UK (1998), China (2005) and Russia (2011).[17]
A version including the authentic music by Offenbach was reconstructed by the Offenbach scholar Jean-Christophe Keck. A performance of this version was produced at the Lausanne Opera (Switzerland).[18] In early 2016, Jean-Christophe Keck announced that he had traced and identified the full manuscript of the Prologue and the Olympia act, with vocal lines by Offenbach and instrumentation by Guiraud. The Antonia act and epilogue are in the Bibliothèque nationale de France, while the Giulietta act is in Offenbach family archives.[19]
Writing in 1997, Andrew Lamb observed that “the original order of acts, a single soprano heroine and single baritone vilain, identification of Nicklause with the Muse” as well as removal of accretions by Barbier and Bloch “give a faithful representation of Offenbach's conception".[13]
See main article: The Tales of Hoffmann discography.
The opera is frequently recorded. Well-regarded recordings include:
Peter Darrell choreographed a ballet, Tales of Hoffmann, to Offenbach's works, mostly from the latter's opera. [21]